


Bullseye (An Everlark Robin Hood Adventure)

by hutchabelle



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Robin Hood (Traditional)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 22:59:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3335948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peeta Mellark is the Kingdom of Panem's Robin Hood. All he's missing is Katniss, his Maid Marian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bullseye (An Everlark Robin Hood Adventure)

“Ladies and gentleman, gather ’round! The tournament is about to begin!”

Careful to make sure his disguise remained safely in place, Peeta Mellark pressed forward with the crush of the crowd. If he was caught, he knew his punishment would be death by the evil King Snow and his lead henchman, Commander Thread. However, Peeta also knew that he couldn’t pass on a chance to observe what the government was doing when most of the country was starving. If he won the archery tournament today, he’d gain several coins of gold, and that could feed the entire population of District 12 for several weeks.

“Participants, please make your way to the arena,” boomed through the crowd in Claudius Templesmith’s voice. He’d been the announcer for these events for as long as Peeta could remember and would soon banter the running commentary with Caesar Flickerman, the notorious and colorful crier for the Kingdom of Panem.

Peeta moved slowly and deliberately to the arena in an effort to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He didn’t need anything to make his presence noticeable or to complicate the already intricate plan to get in and win the prize while his band of merry men, commonly called the Mockingjays, robbed the treasury, while he would then escape with his life.

The participants stood in a straight line while members of the Capitol’s training staff moved among them inspecting their bows. The Capitol always provided the arrows, but contestants were allowed to use their own weapons.

His was special.

When he was only ten or eleven, he’d stumbled across a young girl in the King’s Forest. She was dressed in a soft orange dress, his favorite color, and she was weeping. She sobbed while clutching a bow to her chest, and Peeta felt as if his heart would break if he had to hear one more cry fall from her lips. The birds around her echoed her mournful wails, and he knew he’d never forget the sounds of the mockingjays spreading her sadness through the silence of the forest.

He’d approached her slowly, careful not to scare her, and asked her what her name was and why she was so far into the forbidden woods alone.

“Katniss,” she wept, “My name is Katniss, and I’m here alone because my father is dead and my mother might as well be. We have no food, no hope of making money, and my younger sister is starving.”

“There, there,” Peeta said in an attempt to comfort her, but he understood the direness of her situation all too well. Too many in Panem starved while King Snow and his cohorts filled their coffers with gold from those who could least afford to pay their taxes. As he patted her back, Peeta realized that Katniss might have been more worried about her sister than herself, but she needed food, too. Her shoulder blades poked awkwardly from her in razor points, a clear sign she was dangerously malnourished.

“I went to the market today,” Katniss howled, “and no one would buy what I had to sell. I can’t go home with nothing and face my sister’s hollow eyes.”

“Come with me,” he said with a rush of energy. “I’m Peeta Mellark. My father owns a bakery in the next town over, and I’ll get you something if you’ll follow me to his shop.”

She observed him warily through her tears, but he saw the moment she realized she could either choose to believe him or die from starvation. She nodded and followed him, still grasping the wooden bow to her chest.

As soon as they arrived at the bakery, Peeta knew he’d have trouble finding food for Katniss. His father was out, probably delivering baked goods to the wealthy, and his mother flew among the ovens with a feverish intensity in her eyes. He asked Katniss to wait by a tree in his back yard and entered the bakery.

He grabbed two loaves of bread, the hearty kind with nuts and fruits for extra nourishment. He stumbled over his feet and accidently dropped one into the small fire his father used to start the ovens every morning.

“You stupid creature!” his mother screamed at him. “Now the bread’s useless! Go throw it to the pigs. You’ve stolen money from us just the same as if you pulled gold from the drawer.”

Peeta ducked his head as the blow from the spoon caught his cheek. He grimaced in pain but was proud of himself for remaining silent. He didn’t want to give his mother the pleasure of hearing his cry.

He ran from the house, clutching the slightly burned but warm loaves in his hands. As he approached Katniss, he could see hope spark in her eyes. He handed her the loaves of bread and reached down to pluck a dandelion at his feet. He didn’t have anything else, but a girl so beautiful deserved a flower even on her darkest day.

Katniss sobbed and laughed at the same time and threw her arms around him. With a kiss on the cheek and a raspy thank you, she tucked the bread into her skirt and the dandelion behind her ear and ran away. It was only after he watched her dark braid disappear with a flick behind a tree that he realized she’d left her bow.

Finding her would prove to be futile, he realized. He didn’t know where she lived or what direction she’d taken after fleeing through the trees. He kept it safe for years hoping she’d find her way back to the bakery and reclaim her weapon. She’d already claimed his heart. Her silver eyes, so clouded with tears and gratitude, danced through his dreams every night, and he found himself dabbling with his charcoals in countless attempts to recapture their beauty.

Now he caressed the bow he’d gained the day he met her, along with a desperate need to help those less fortunate than himself. During the years since that day, he’d honed his archery skills and realized helping the poor meant angering the rich. He’d been forced to become Panem’s version of Robin Hood in the process. He was an outlaw by age 25. The only thing he lacked was Katniss, his Maid Marian.

“Participants, this is an exciting contest today! Since it’s a special anniversary, 75 years since our last war, we have doubled the gold reward for today!”

Cheers erupted from the gathered crowd, and Peeta smiled softly underneath his green hood laced with yellow dandelions. Double the gold could only mean good things for the poor he planned to help.

Templesmith’s voice continued, “And for a special treat, our very own Katniss Everdeen, our fair lady who has worked closely with King Snow to bring fairness to our land, will bestow a kiss upon the winner.”

Peeta’s head snapped upward, and he fought to keep his face covered. Katniss Everdeen… It couldn’t be, could it?

He moved cautiously behind another contestant and glanced toward the stage where Templesmith, the King, Flickerman, Thread, and a myriad of other government officials stood congregated. Standing next to Snow was a stunning young lady, close to his age, with a dark braid hanging down her back. As she surveyed the crowed, Peeta’s eyes widened when he saw the color of hers.

Steel gray. Silver that shone in his dreams and haunted his sleep. She was here, after so many lost years, he was finally able to see her again. Regrettably, she stood surrounded by those who wanted him captured and hanged for attempting care for those who needed help the most.

Although he knew prior to hearing the announcement that he needed to win the archery contest, the promised kiss from Katniss suddenly took on much greater import. He desired the kiss from her like a thirsty man craves water. Without realizing it, he’d given his heart to that tearful little girl when he was young.

His hands quaked, but he fought to control them. Shaking wouldn’t help him hit the bullseye and claim the monetary prize and Katniss’ lips. The Capitol workers moved each contestant into his place, and Peeta steadied himself with a deep breath. He raised his bow and waited for the command to shoot.

Templesmith shouted, “Archers, begin!” and the whizz of arrows filled the air along with cheers from the crowd. Peeta’s arrow pierced the edge of the bullseye, enough to be counted at the center of the target, but not so much as to announce his presence to the crowd. He advanced through round after round, carefully keeping himself in the top tier of contestants but not displaying the entirety of his skill. Finally, the pool consisted of him and one of the King’s favorites, a former peacekeeper named Darius.

Before the final round began, Caesar Flickerman explained the rules to the crowd. “Both Robin Hood and Darius White will have two shots to hit the bullseye. The one with the closest strike wins the gold and the girl. Let’s begin!”

Darius took his turn first, and hit the bullseye squarely with one arrow and barely missed with his second. When Peeta stepped forward to shoot, he made sure to land inside the inner red circle but not dead center.

As he prepared his second shot, he felt someone move behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw nothing, so he released his shot just as something knocked his bow so that the arrow shot high into the air. Without thinking, he grabbed another, shot it at the one he’d just loosed, and bumped it back on its trajectory—right into the center of the bullseye. Cheers from the crowd overrode the gasps of shock from the podium where Snow and the other officials sat.

Flickerman announced in glee, “Robin Hood wins the gold and a kiss from the fair maiden, Katniss Everdeen! Guards, bring the winner forward for his reward!”

Peeta cringed as peacekeepers grabbed his arms and propelled him toward the stage, but he kept his head down and covered by the hood. He also had a mask on that concealed the area around his eyes, but he feared Snow would force him to remove the disguise when Katniss kissed him. Just as he feared, Snow welcomed him on stage with far too much cunning.

“Let’s all applaud this glorious archer, Robin Hood, who seems as talented as the most cunning member of our kingdom. His skill with a bow should be legendary, just like that of our most famous outlaw, Peeta Mellark. Perhaps this Robin Hood can help us in Panem’s quest to rid our streets and villages of riff raff and criminals and protect our fair people!”

The crowd cheered in delight at Snow’s words, and Peeta felt the hood slip from his head and a dandelion fall to the stage. Snow’s eyes narrowed as he presented Peeta with the gold prize and motioned for Katniss to step forward.

“And now, the champion, Robin Hood, will receive his kiss from the lovely Katniss Everdeen,” Snow announced and stepped back from the couple.

Peeta breathed unevenly. His chest heaved as he observed Katniss at close range for the first time since their childhood. Her dark hair framed a rounded face with flushed olive skin, and her gray eyes flickered with silver flecks that made them look like molten metal. Her plump red lips curved into a soft smile as she gazed at him, and she stepped forward to officially greet him.

In a voice too low for others to hear, she asked furtively, “It’s you, isn’t it? I recognize my father’s bow that I lost the day a kind, blond boy with blue eyes as deep as the sky saved my life and that of my sister with two loaves of warm bread.”

He nodded imperceptibly. Surely she wouldn’t expose him as Peeta Mellark, Panem’s most wanted criminal, but he couldn’t be too careful.

“Well, then, Peeta Mellark, I’m pleased to reward you.” She stepped toward him and called loudly enough for the crowd to hear, “A kiss for Robin Hood, champion of the Third Quarter Archery Tournament and captor of my heart.”

She leaned into him then and pressed her lips softly to his. Jolts of electricity bolted through him as her mouth molded gently to his. Shouts of approval rose from those watching, and Peeta closed his eyes to savor the glorious feel of her warmth against him.

Without warning, Katniss’ mouth was ripped from his and he felt his mask slip over his head. Snow bellowed, “Seize him!” a millisecond before Peeta realized he’d been exposed.

“Run, Peeta!” Katniss cried as she fought the peacekeepers who restrained her, and he jumped from the stage into the roiling throng the crowd had quickly become.

Peacekeepers rushed in from all sides, but Peeta grabbed a rope hanging from the corner of the stage and swung himself above the crowd. He landed on the far edge of the podium and swiveled his head to scan for the best escape route. He quickly realized none of his options promised much success, but he also knew he couldn’t leave the gold he’d won behind. He charged toward Katniss, who stood next to the two bags of his award.

Peacekeepers charged him, but he shoved them away using the tip of his trusty bow—the one he now realized had belonged to Katniss’ beloved father whom she'd lost before they met. He stopped short next to the woman who’d graced him with her kiss, reached down to grab the gold, and asked, “Katniss Everdeen, a dozen years is too long to wait to see you again. Could I interest you in a meeting that doesn’t include the King’s guard and a potential hanging?”

Her silver eyes sparkled with amusement, and she answered, “My dear Peeta Mellark, I would love to see you again in a much more, shall we say, peaceful setting?”

He pulled her to him and kissed her squarely on the mouth. “Come with me.”

“My darling, I thought you’d never ask.” She reached behind him to grab an arrow out of his quiver and shot it at an approaching peacekeeper with her father’s bow. The guard ducked and rolled across the stage, and she grinned at Peeta and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But how shall we escape, my brave savior?”

“You’re better with a bow than I am,” he sputtered in wonderment, and she nodded.

“You may have my father’s bow, but I had my own he fashioned for me before he died. I practiced, much like you must have. I can hit a bullseye squarely from 100 yards. Now, how are we getting out of here?”

“On horseback, my lovely. Here come my men.”

He turned and tossed his second in command, Finnick Odair, one bag of gold and the second to the next in line, Thresh Hillsworth. A horse without a rider followed and Peeta asked shortly, “You coming with me?” Katniss nodded, and he grabbed her waist and jumped. He landed on the horse with her on his lap, her father’s bow clutched tightly in her right hand.

“Ride!” he bellowed and pushed his horse as fast as possible. Within minutes, they’d outpaced the trailing peacekeepers and escaped into the forest that provided them shelter. Katniss clung to him, and he held her tightly against his chest as the horse strode powerfully under his thighs. Much too soon for his taste, they’d entered their secret camp and Peeta pulled the horse to a stop. Reluctantly, he released Katniss and helped her to the ground.

“Welcome to Peeta Mellark’s lair, m’lady. We call it the Mockingjay Nest. Make yourself at home while I meet with my men.”

It took only a few minutes for him to calculate the amount of gold the band had captured and make a plan for redistributing it to the districts. The haul was double what they’d expected, and that made Peeta incredibly happy. That would allow him to lay low until today’s spectacle faded from the public’s memory. Snow wouldn’t take kindly to Peeta humiliating the government. Security would be tight for several weeks to come. Thankfully, they’d have enough gold to feed the hungry throughout Panem until he could plan another successful raid.

Katniss waited patiently for him on a tree stump, her father’s weapon cradled in her lap. He watched her hands slide along the curves of the bow and fought to keep his thoughts clear of her fingers trailing over his skin. He approached her slowly, appreciating her beauty and prolonging the excitement of their reunion as much as he possibly could.

“Katniss Everdeen. After all these years, I’m so happy to see you again. You’re even more beautiful than you were when I found you in the woods with tears in your silver eyes. I’m glad to see them clear today.”

“Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread and the dandelions,” she returned with a smile. Peeta pulled a flower from the hood that lay against his back and handed it to her.

“A beautiful woman deserves a beautiful flower. I wish I had something more suited to you.”

“Dandelions are edible. Did you know that?” she asked as she twirled the stem between her elegant fingers. “I remembered that the day you gave me the bread, and I kept Prim and myself alive because of you. You saved me that day. You saved us, and I can never repay you.”

“You don’t need to repay me, Katniss. That was never what it was about.” His blue eyes held hers, and he confessed what he’d wanted to tell her for far too long. “You may think I saved you that day, but you really saved me. I realized when you ran away with the bread trapped in your skirt that the wealthy couldn’t live on the backs of the poor without repercussions. I knew from that day I wanted to help those who needed a hand to make it—not as charity, but as an equalizing force. You made me into Peeta Mellark, the outlaw who robs the rich to give to the poor. You are the one who saved Panem from starvation.”

She laughed then, a sound of pure joy and gratitude, and he heard the mockingjays that surrounded the camp mimic the sound. Years prior they’d called out her grief. He was pleased that today they echoed her happiness.

“Walk with me, Peeta. I have so many things to tell you.” He rose and pulled her to her feet. Offering her his arm, he threaded her palm over his elbow and guided her from the camp.

“What do you want to share with me?” His heart thumped in his chest at her nearness, and he found himself hanging on her words as she spoke.

“I didn’t save you that day, Peeta. We saved each other. You gave me bread and a flower; I gave you the will and the bow to help others. Make no mistake, you offered me something else that day, too. Like you, I realized how unfair Panem’s government was, and I took steps to fix it. I didn’t know how to thank you, but I knew I wanted to change things.”

“Is that how you became involved with Snow? I didn’t know you were the maiden who worked with him on matters of the poor. I’d never heard your name, only of your kindness and beauty.”

“It was,” she asserted. “I worked to undermine him the past few years, losing signed edicts that doled out harsh punishments and changing shipping numbers to approve more grain to villages that needed more food. Together you and I have made a vast difference for the poor of Panem. We make a good team.”

Peeta stopped then to face her and lamented, “You have to go back to him, you know. You can’t stay here with us. He’ll track us down to find you. You’re too valuable to his reputation. He can’t just let you go—especially to me and the Mockingjay camp.”

“I know,” she agreed softly, “but surely you can provide me dinner first. And maybe another kiss that’s not rushed by the threat of your imminent hanging?”

His mouth sought hers with longing, and desire rushed through him at the feel of her lips on his. He dreaded letting her go, returning her to the evil clutches of the Capitol and King Snow, but he knew it must be done. After dinner, he’d blindfold her and lead her away, making sure to place her somewhere she’d be safe until she was found by the peacekeepers. They could work together, he and his band of men and her as the inside Mockingjay. They needed each other to right the nation. They only required finding a new leader who could overthrow the king and rule the nation justly.

Their lips broke apart, and Katniss sighed gently at the loss of contact. “Soon, Peeta. Soon we can protect the people, and I’ll escape to the woods with my sister to be with you. It’s only a little while.”

He nodded despondently and kissed her softly again. “Until then, I’ll freeze this moment in time, right here—right now, and carry it with me.”

As the sunlight glinted through the trees, a soft golden haze surrounded her as she whispered to him, “I’ll allow it.”


End file.
